Ratnasiri Wickremanayake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
රත්නසිරි වික්‍රමනායක ரத்னசிறி விக்கிரமநாயக்க
Wickremanayake in 2009
12th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
In office 19 November 2005 – 21 April 2010
President	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded by	D. M. Jayaratne
In office 10 August 2000 – 9 December 2001
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Preceded by	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
11th Leader of the Opposition
In office 18 December 2001 – 31 January 2002
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Succeeded by	Mahinda Rajapakse
Personal details
Born	5 May 1933 British Ceylon
Died	27 December 2016 (aged 83) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Political party	Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Other political affiliations	United People's Freedom Alliance
Spouse	Kusum Wickremanayake
Children	Vidura Wickremanayake (son)
Profession	Politician

Ratnasiri Wickremanayake (Sinhala: රත්නසිරි වික්‍රමනායක, Tamil: ரத்னசிறி விக்கிரமநாயக்க; born 5 May 1933 – died 27 December 2016) was an important Sri Lankan politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka two times: first from 2000 to 2001, and again from 2005 to 2010. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2002.

Wickremanayake was a Member of Parliament, representing the Horana area and later the Kalutara District. He held many different jobs as a minister in the Sri Lankan government, starting in 1970.

Early Life and Education

Ratnasiri Wickremanayake started his schooling at Millewa Primary School. He then attended Dharmapala Vidyalaya in Pannipitiya. Later, he studied at Hartley College in Point Pedro and Ananda College in Colombo.

He went to the United Kingdom to study law at Lincoln's Inn. He wanted to become a Barrister, which is a type of lawyer. However, he decided to go into politics instead of taking the final law exam. While he was in the UK, he was chosen as the president of the Ceylon Students' Association in 1955.

Starting His Political Journey

Ratnasiri Wickremanayake began his career in politics in 1960. He was first elected to the country's law-making body, called the legislature, in 1960. He represented the Horana area for the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. This party was part of a bigger group called the People's United Front at the time.

In 1962, Wickremanayake joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). He was elected again for Horana in 1965 and 1970, still representing the SLFP.

First Government Roles

Wickremanayake received his first job as a minister in 1970. He became the Deputy Minister for Justice in the government led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. In 1975, he was made the Minister of Plantation Industries. The next year, he also became the Minister of Justice.

In the 1977 general elections, the SLFP lost by a lot, and Wickremanayake lost his seat in Parliament. In 1978, he became the General Secretary of the SLFP, which is a very important leadership role within the party.

In the 1994 general elections, Wickremanayake won a seat for the Kalutara District. He then became the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, and Plantation Industries. This was in the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Serving as Prime Minister

Ratnasiri Wickremanayake became Prime Minister for the first time in August 2000. He took over from Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who stepped down because of her age. He officially started his role on 13 October 2000.

He stopped being Prime Minister in December 2001. This happened because his party lost the election to the opposition party, the United National Party. The opposition won 109 out of 225 seats in Parliament.

Wickremanayake was also a senior vice-president of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Second Term as Prime Minister

After the SLFP won the 2004 parliamentary elections, Wickremanayake was given new roles. He became the Minister of Buddhist Affairs, Public Security, and Law and Order. He also served as the Deputy Minister for Defence.

He was sworn in for his second time as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 21 November 2005. This was under President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

During President Chandrika Kumaratunga's time, he was in charge of Public Administration, Home Affairs, and Plantation Industries. His son, Vidura Wickremanayake, is also a Member of Parliament.

Views on Peace and Security

During his first time as Prime Minister, he did not want to have talks with the LTTE. The LTTE was a group fighting for a separate state. He spoke out against terrorism. He also suggested that Sri Lanka's family planning rules should change to encourage more children.

Wickremanayake was known for being a strong opponent of the Tamil separatists. He also disagreed with the ceasefire agreements that were in place at that time.

However, when he was the Leader of the Opposition in 2002, he supported talking with the LTTE without conditions. Later, on 5 February 2010, he told Parliament that his government offered the LTTE group a chance to surrender without punishment. He also said they refused requests for a ceasefire from other countries. He promised to defeat those who continued to fight.

Later Life and Passing

On 21 December 2016, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was admitted to a hospital in Colombo. He passed away on 27 December 2016, at the age of 83. He died due to an illness. At the time of his death, he was working as a Senior Advisor to President Maithripala Sirisena.

See also

• List of political families in Sri Lanka
• Politics of Sri Lanka
• Cabinet of Sri Lanka